1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a fuel cell, and more particularly to a fuel cell comprising a plurality of cells, each cell including a three-layer plate member having a plate-like electrolyte layer, a film-like or plate-like oxygen electrode attached to one face of the electrolyte layer and a film-like or plate-like fuel electrode attached to the other face of the electrolyte layer, a separator affixed to either the oxygen electrode or the fuel electrode, and an oxygen-containing gas flow passage formed between the oxygen electrode and the separator or a fuel flow passage formed between the fuel electrode and the separator, so that a plurality of the fuel flow passages or of the oxygen-containg gas flow passages are formed between an adjacent pair of the cells.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventionally, for arranging a plurality of cells, as illustrated in FIGS. 13 through 15, partition walls 48 are provided for partitioning between an air feed passage 42 and an air exhaust passage both communicated with a flow passage 41 formed between cells C and a further air feed passage 46 and a further air exhaust passage 47 communicated with a further flow passage 45 formed by a separator 44. Also, opposed ends 49a, 49b of the cell C to which the flow passage 45 formed by the separator 44 is open are respectively inserted into a plurality of holes defined in the partition wall 48.
However, the above described assembly requires a great amount of labor and costs for effecting the assembly steps of: preparing a pair of partition walls 48 each defining a plurality of insertion holes; respectively inserting the ends of the cell C into the insertion holes; and assuring air-tight condition between the ends 49a, 49b of the great number of cells C and the partition walls 48. In this respect, the prior art still has significant room for improvement.
The primary object of the present invention is to provide an improved fuel cell construction which allows easy and quick assembly of its electricity generating unit where an air-tight condition, that is complete separation must be provided between a fuel flow passage or an oxygen-containing gas flow passage and an air feed passage or an air exhaust passage communicated with the oxygen-containing gas flow passage or the fuel flow passage formed by the separator.